Light Therapy & Phototherapy for Skin Disorders

Light therapy, according to Wikipedia, involves the exposure of a patient to lasers, LED lights, fluorescent and diachronic lamps. Light therapy, or photo-therapy is used to treat depression, sleep disorders, and severe acne. Photo-therapy is also being studied to see how it affects the skin conditions psoriasis and eczema.

Blue and Red light therapy differs from laser therapy for skin disorders in several ways. Unlike laser therapy, blue light treatment can be performed at home. While there are some laser treatments available for home use, it is advisable that you see a dermatologist or physician for these types of treatment. Laser therapy is known to be painful, but there is no discomfort associated with blue or red light therapies.

While at home light boxes are considered expensive, they are less expensive than repeated treatments in a dermatology clinic. Light boxes cost about as much as the patient would spend on a lifetime of cleansers and over the counter acne medications.

The British Journal of Dermatology reports that after three days of consecutive light therapy, acne causing bacteria in the pores was virtually eliminated. Only 10% of patients showed no improvement after repeated photo-therapy.

Before beginning photo-therapy for any condition, it is recommended that you discuss this therapy, any counter indications, and possible side effects with your physician. It may be advisable to seek other methods of treatment if you are on medications that increase your sensitivity to sunlight.

PUVA therapy is a treatment that uses a photo sensitizing drug called psoralen. This medication can be given orally, used in a bath, or applied topically. These treatments are scheduled two or three times a week by a doctor or dermatologist. Light exposure is gradually increased over time, and patients will start to see results in about 4 weeks. The dermatologist may ask the patient to use special cleansers or treatments at home, in addition to the PUVA therapy. Burning, tanning, skin damage, brown spots, and skin cancer can be side affects associated with PUVA treatment.

UVB photo therapy is a treatment that is administered three times a week. UVB has components of natural sun light, and as with PUVA therapy, may cause burning and skin cancer. Dosage of UVB light is increased at the rate of 15-60 seconds per treatment.

On the day of your first appointment you will be advised not to wear makeup or sunblock. If you do wear either of them, the dermatologist will ask you to remove them, prior to photo therapy. You will then be asked to wear protective goggles, as the photo therapy lights may cause damage to your unprotected eyes. With some therapies, you will be treated for up to 20 minutes, after which you can return home. In some cases nausea and vomiting have been reported.